City centre ban for 29 shoplifters
Twenty-nine of the most prolific shoplifters in Lincoln have been banned from entering stores in the city centre.
The thieves are all subject to Criminal Behaviour orders issued by a court, which will help protect retailers and their staff from crime because if breach offenders face a jail term of up to five years in the most serious cases.
CBOs are used Neighbourhood Policing Teams to tackle persistent offending by placing enforceable rules on where a person can and cannot go.
The civil orders are imposed by the courts and are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals whose behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.
In the case of all 29 of these people they have been barred from entering any retail premises in Lincoln apart from a few specified shops to buy their own essential items.
Sergeant Steve Parker explained: “This has been part of our work targeting volume offenders who have been identified as committing a disproportionate number of crimes against the public.
“We have been prioritising prosecutions and spending our time targeting offenders who have had the most impact on the public in Lincoln, which has meant we have secured court sentences and court orders which can help reduce the impact of their crimes.”
Obtaining this number of CBOs is something the team has specifically worked on, in partnership with Lincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG), which launched a joint scheme to clamp down on shoplifting in the city centre last year.
Stores in the city are also feeling the difference as Lincolnshire Co-op’s Security Manager, Mark Foulds, explained: “It’s fantastic to see Lincolnshire Police and Lincoln BIG come together to reduce shoplifting in Lincoln city centre.
“We take incidents of shop theft very seriously and have worked closely with Lincolnshire Police in filing detailed reports against offenders. These have assisted the police in obtaining banning orders.
“Shop theft can really take its toll on local businesses financially, which also has an impact on paying customers. Action like this helps to contain the issue, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction to deter and disrupt those prolific offenders.”
The scheme means the number of shop theft reports has increased in the past year, because shops were being directly supported by the dedicated Lincoln BIG warden in making reports and gathering the evidence police need to prosecute; the more evidence against an individual, the higher the likelihood of securing a CBO, and subsequently reducing offending.